


A Future Worth Fighting For

by UbiquitousSpontaneities



Series: There's a (few) new Link(s) in this chain! [3]
Category: Linked Universe - Fandom, The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda (Video Game 1986), The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
Genre: Angst, Bonding, Gen, Kinda, LU Secret Santa 2019, Linked Universe (Legend of Zelda), Supportive Legend, The Downfall Boys, tbh i think you'd be hard pressed to find a lu fic that isn't bonding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-13
Updated: 2019-12-13
Packaged: 2021-02-25 05:55:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,103
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21691300
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UbiquitousSpontaneities/pseuds/UbiquitousSpontaneities
Summary: Is One With You In It.(Part of the Linked Universe Secret Santa Exchange, Happy Holidays and I hope you all have a wonderful December!)
Relationships: Hyrule & Legend
Series: There's a (few) new Link(s) in this chain! [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1445728
Comments: 17
Kudos: 142





	A Future Worth Fighting For

**Author's Note:**

  * For [liccy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/liccy/gifts).



> happy holidays and december shenanigans! this piece is for the Linked Universe Secret Santa exchange, and i had the honor of getting to write for the lovely Liccy! you're so talented with both art and writing, and all around such a kind person, i really hope you have a wonderful holiday season and enjoy reading this much as much i enjoyed writing it! i had a lot of fun, and i hope everyone else who participated did as well!! 
> 
> huge thanks to [Rey](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Peje_Rey) and [Marley](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarleyAndMe12/pseuds/MarleyAndMe12) for helping me!!

“Teach me.”

“Mmhmm?” Hyrule hummed absentmindedly, too preoccupied with refastening his bracer to fully register what Legend had said. A particularly nasty blade had neatly sliced through the ties (and his arm - _oww_ ), so he struggled to knot the makeshift straps over the hastily bandaged wound. The hem of his tunic mourned the loss, but it was the best he could do for the moment. Once satisfied, he looked back up at the proffered blade. He must have dropped it in his landing, he mused as Legend flipped the grip around to hand him his sword. But before he could take it, Legend stopped him, retracting a bit, a pointed look reminding Hyrule of his question. “Oh, uh, teach you what?”

“That downward thrust you do, I’ve never seen anything like it.” The insistent eye contact made Hyrule a little uncomfortable, and he fidgeted with the fraying fabric of the tie as he answered. 

“Oh,” he said sheepishly, “You know, it’s not any sort of technique or anything, I just made it up.” A crash in the woods behind him was all the warning Hyrule got before Wind flung himself out of the brush, just barely missing the two as he dragged a stumbling Wild behind him. As they passed, the latter flashed a small smile to the two before being rather forcefully pushed towards the rest of the group. Before he could question it, Legend continued. 

“I know, that’s why I want you to teach me it.” If Hyrule wasn’t already blushing before, he definitely was now. His face felt hot as he turned away from Legend. No, it wasn’t a blush, he was just… sweaty from the fighting. Right. Sure, that’s definitely believable. “Gods, you’re so caught up in this inferiority thing, you really gotta realize that your ideas are really great sometimes you know.” Whatever noise Hyrule did make at that, it definitely was _not_ a squeak. Legend cast him a skeptical glance as he flopped himself down onto the ledge behind him. It seemed unlikely that they’d be going anywhere soon, so Hyrule hesitantly sat next to him. 

Hyrule went to speak, but Legend went on. “No one else would’ve thought of that, so I’d like you to teach me. A technique like that _and_ you developed it all by yourself? You practically had the entire battlefield taken care of, if only _someone_ hadn’t gotten in the way.” Legend’s grumbling was punctuated by a slight glare towards Wild again, a sheepish grin the other boy’s response. Looking back at Hyrule again, Legend asked, “What? Why’re you look‘n at me like that?”

“Huh,” was all Hyrule could say, looking down at the thread he had unraveled from the edge of his makeshift tie. He twisted it about his fingers as he said, “Legend, you really are something aren’t you.” 

Legend scoffed. “You’re something yourself you damn rascal, what’re you going on about?” 

Hyrule let out a quiet laugh, the moment hanging in the air for a bit as they waited their companions regroup and assess from across the clearing.

“I’m being serious you know. All that fancy-schmancy training they’ve all got just makes them predictable. _You’ve_ got the element of surprise, the unexpected. Sure, everyone’s got talent. But when you take that and get creative with it, turn your disadvantages into a way to one-up your opponent? That’s when you’re truly great. I don’t get why you don’t see it.”

So that comment about Hyrule not blushing before? Yeah he was _definitely_ wrong about that. There was no denying it now, and as Legend lounged back on the rock Hyrule couldn’t bring himself to do the same, leaving him stock still where he sat on the edge. 

“There's a reason why they teach those methods to all the knights, all the soldiers. Its because they work for everyone. not for each person. Believe me, I’d know, I can’t count the times I’ve had to-“ Legend trailed off, and coughed into his fist before he went on. Before Hyrule could turn enough to meet his eyes - a futile motion anyway because they were firmly fixed upon the ground before them - he said, “It’s when you adapt it, make the strategy your own that you can win, and win effectively. If you and your opponent know the exact same things, you’ll be stuck there for eternity.” 

Legend continued to muse as he absentmindedly twirled his sword in his left hand. From what Hyrule could see, the others were still waiting for Twilight to return from wherever he had disappeared to. “You take your lack of training and turn it into a plus, not a minus. You think more holistically than these schmucks, you take everything into account. I mean, take what you did just now with this ledge. Anyone else would have just thought ‘Oh, better watch out and make sure I don’t fall’ but you, you absolute mad lad, decided to jump off it and stab that bastard in the head! I mean, who does that?” 

Legend’s laughter was infectious, and Hyrule couldn’t help but chuckle as well. Maybe he was right, the move was a little silly now that he thought about it...

“When did this turn into me lecturing you? For the love of Nayru, that wasnt the _krifagen_ point, what I’m trying to say is, you’re talented, and show me how to do that damn down stab it was cool as hell. Okay?” He could feel Legend’s eyes on him as he laughed. In the corner of his eye Hyrule caught a small smile on the man’s face as he stood, quite intentionally elbowing his companion in the head in the process. With a pleased smirk, Legend reached a hand down to help Hyrule up, and they made their way over to the rest of their group. 

“You know, you’re a lot more of a softy than people give you credit for,” Hyrule said to the back of Legend’s head as they walked, only to be smacked in the face by the tail end of his hat as the man twirled on him indignantly.

“I am _not.”_ His pout only served to prove Hyrule’s point.

–––––⊱▲⊰–––––

Hyrule woke with a start. For a bewildered moment he didn’t know where he was, his mind reeling through the potential disasters that would have led him to a confined dark room, an overly comfortable bed, and a sting in his side from a wound he didn’t quite remember, but a dull thud followed by a string of curses shook him from his stupor and drew his attention to the bed next to his.

“You okay?” he whispered into the dim light, eyes struggling to adjust. Why was the lighting so strange? Where were they- Oh, right. Zora’s Domain, Wild had called it. 

“ _Yes_ ,” Legend spat out from the bed next to him. Or, more accurately, from the floor between their two beds. He must have fallen, Hyrule thought. and that must have been what woke him up. But it’s much more complicated than that, he realized as he reached a hand down to help him up, evidenced by a frantic glint in his fellow Hero’s eyes and the shakiness of the hand he finally concedes to his aid. “No, _fuck_ no, no I’m not.” 

With a rough shake, Legend untangled himself from the wad of blankets. Rather than get back onto the disarranged bed however, he slumped back onto the ground, hands halfway through detangling his hair. 

“Goddesses.” Legend faced at the ceiling, breathing still heavy. Hesitantly, Hyrule reached down and patted him on the shoulder. “ _Damn it,_ ” he hissed, eyes still scrunched shut. “Why’re you still up?” 

“Oh, uh, my injury from earlier was acting up,” Hyrule lied. They had, well he guessed the best word for it was _overreacted_ when Wild had introduced them to the Zora. Hey, it wasn’t _their_ fault he hadn’t warned them they were friendly.

Legend’s curt laugh shook him from his thoughts. “Yeah, not my finest moment.” 

“Ha, wasn’t mine either.”

The moment quiet, Hyrule settled himself back into his covers a little bit.

“‘M s’rry.” 

“...What?” Hyrule barely heard whatever it was that Legend had mumbled into his arm, which now found itself flung over his face. Hyrule leaned a little bit further off the bed, before eventually deciding to just get it over with. He plopped himself down next to Legend, who’s only response was a slightly raised eyebrow.

“I’m sorry.” 

“What for? I-”

“For this, all of this. You wouldn’t have to be here if I’d just done my job right.” 

At that, Hyrule let out a breathy laugh.

“Odd’s bobs Legend, tha- that’s the least of your worries right now.”

“Bullshit, its my biggest worry right now, it’ll be the biggest worry for the rest of my goddamn life-” With a harsh sigh, Legend pushed himself up on one elbow to look Hyrule directly in the eyes. “I’m _sorry._ ”

“You don’t-”

“Yes, _yes_ I do. I tried you know, I tried so many times” Legend looked away staring blankly off into the blue-tinged darkness. “I did all the steps, saved all the maidens, killed all the bosses, and yet. And yet you’re still here. I failed.”

“You didn’t.”

“I did. What year is it for you?”

“That doesn’t-”

“It _does_ matter Hyrule, I-”

“ _No,_ it _doesn’t._ Legend, you succeeded for _centuries._ For centuries the country was _safe._ Sure, we weren’t thriving or anything but we were relatively okay. It’s not _your_ fault, if anything’s it-”

“Do _not_ say it’s your fault, there’s no way-”

“Hush! I wasn’t going to say it was my fault, you loon, I was going to say it was that good for nothing rotten prince from a few centuries back.” 

Legend laughed, and Hyrule couldn’t stop himself from doing the same. The two saw the night out side by side, Legend clutching his aching stomach as he dozed off again, leaving Hyrule to smile and trail off in his tale about jealous princes and slumbering princesses, a story lost to time and a Hero who never quite got the timing right. 

–––––⊱▲⊰–––––

“Legend!” Hyrule could hardly get his name out through the laughter. He panted for a second, attempting to catch his breath past the smile that continued to grow on his face. With a grin, he shook his head again, reaching a hand towards Legend’s retreating figure. “Legend, wait up!”

Another day, another fight, it seemed like this was just an inevitable fact of life for the group. But this one had gone well, and they were quick to settle down for the night. A few jokes later and Hyrule found himself stumbling after Legend in a quest for some firewood. 

But his laughter died on his lips as Legend ground to a halt before him. Only the slightest twitch of his ears and a sudden tremor in his hands shook Hyrule from his shock.

A step at a time, Hyrule approached whatever had caused such a visceral reaction in his friend. “Legend? You okay? What’s- _Oh_.“ 

Hyrule finds himself frozen to the spot as well, one hand hovering over Legend shoulder as if to console him as he finally sees- 

“Is that, uh.” Finally, Legend took his last step into the clearing, his voice thick. Hyrule couldn’t bring himself to reply. He pulled his eyes away for a second, only to see Legend more distraught than he’s ever seen him, and for their group, that’s saying something. “That’s my home. Isn’t-“

It doesn’t seem like he can bring himself to speak. 

“Isn’t it.” 

The two stood in silence, staring at the wreckage. It’s a skeleton, truly. Nothing left but the bare stones of a crumbling foundation and a slouching chimney, anything else rotted or rotting away. Hyrule had known the implications of Legend’s stories being the only ones to be passed on to his era, _this_ era, but this... He should have seen this coming. 

The forest was quiet, the only sounds fracturing the stagnant air a faint chirping of birds and the remnants of their friends laughter as the noise trickles into the clearing. 

“I’m so sorry.” 

“Oh, of fucking course you are, _you’re Hyrule_.” Legend’s voice is gruff, but it’s a mockery of his usual tone, one that fails to cover the grief in his voice. 

With a huff, Legend moved as if to leave. But he stopped, and Hyrule can do nothing but stare as he turns back towards the decaying ruins and falls to his knees. Unshed tears made it hard to see after that. For both of them. 

“It’s just… disappointing you know, it’s-“

“I tried so hard, I tried so damn hard to do this right.”

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


–––––⊱▲▲▲⊰–––––

.

..

...

He’s much older now. His sword arm not quite as strong, his movements not quite as sure. A few too many scars on hands that have seen too much, done too much. Potions don’t work quite as well, neither does the healing magic (a hissed argument with one, an angry sob from another, pleads for him to _stop_ and _take a break_ that he knows he can’t listen to, no matter how much he may want to). Too many injuries, too many close calls. But he pushes on. Helps those he can. Helps himself in a roundabout way, convinces himself that it’ll all be worthwhile in the end. It may not be the prosperous lands of the past, the recuperating kingdom of the future, both of which he knows all too well - but maybe, just maybe, it’s getting there. Bit by bit, fight after fight, he can only hope that he is helping his people live up to the legacy left by his predecessors, his friends. So he pushes on, despite the phantom pains and twinge of memories, despite the inevitability of his failure. 

He knows it’ll happen eventually, he’s seen the direct proof of it, walked through the destruction left in its wake, befriended the one who had to solve the problem he could not. No matter what they try, he knows it’ll happen eventually. He wonders sometimes how the others felt, knowing the same. He can’t have had it the worst, (snark and wit to cover disappointment and grief, kindness and caring to mask the distraught, a level headed demeanor and composed countenance to hide the bafflement at being completely forgotten). But he pushes on, pushes past those worries to save those he can, mourn those he must, and preserve the memory of those the rest of his people have forgotten. Protect what little remains of his companions, his friends, his family across time and place, past and future. 

Not much does remain. He doesn’t know for sure how much time had passed between him and the others, how much longer the world would wait for it’s rebirth, eventual fall, and it’s beginning anew. How much longer it would wait for the next Hero, the next one to wield a blade and defeat a great evil (if only it was that simple). He doesn’t know how long it had waited for him, waited for the successor to such a legendary figure. But he does know a few things.

The land may have changed, the peoples may have migrated, the specifics may have been lost, but underneath all that lies history, or at least some form of it. So he sets out once again. He had missed this, this aimless - but not pointless - journeying to discover, to learn, to _find_. He leaves the relative stability of the castle, leaves his makeshift family to find what remains of his old one. He doesn’t take much, but he never needed much anyway, no matter what either of them says. A map - a kind gift but effectively useless, he never did get good with those, despite her best efforts. A blade - a sad reminder but a necessary one, blemished and damaged after all this time but far outshining any others he could encounter, one of the few upsides to such a magical blade. 

He does his best to keep track of where he is, but the shifting landscape and his persistent struggle with such a seemingly simple task thwart that in its infancy, and he resolves to stick to what he does know. (Asking for forgiveness was easy, and he doubts that they really expected him to suddenly move past such an impediment after all this time). He does know some things. Where he’s been.

Where he’s going. 

And he finds it. Eventually. It’s little more than a foundation at this point, nothing more than a fragment of its former self. A bone dry lake is his first clue, what remains of a once vast moat. Little more than a slight indentation in the ground now, he can barely see it beneath the thick undergrowth, nature reclaiming the structure as the centuries pass and the kingdom’s power waxed and waned. But that’s not what he’s looking for. 

At least now he knows he is close. And he is. A clearing that sends a jolt of a memory through his mind. A shout, fighting. Not long after, followed by a bandaging of wounds, reparations made. Laughter, joviality. And a broken voice that echoes through time into his ears. But that’s not what he’s looking for. 

He’s even closer now, he’s sure of it. It can’t be far, he remembers- 

He finds it. Not much has changed since he last saw it. But compared to what he knows it used to be - that familiar pull of a place one of them called home, the wholesome warmth of safety, the calm in the eye of the storm that was that mess of an adventure - it’s pitiful. Not even the foundation remains of this one, and the bits of it that do are buried deep. A fractured shell of a building, what remains of one wall slouched against the nearby tree - it wasn’t like that last time, it must have fallen relatively recently - the other miraculously standing tall, quivering in a valiant effort to withstand the autumn breeze. It’s a grave. (To him, to the idea, to… well. To their hopes.)

It pains him. He knows how much he had cared, how much work he put into this place. How much history it held not just for him, but for the country, for all that had been touched by the work of the Hero all but lost to the ages. Not much remained other than fairy tales, vague recollections and fragmented oral tradition, shattered by time and calamity. (And it was even worse for the others, the ones who didn’t even have that). It pains him to see the place in shambles, worse than shambles, completely and utterly destroyed. He witnessed it firsthand, the shock and pain his friend’s, brother’s face when they first came across it, all those years ago. Clouded by age and shrouded in the twinge of sadness that came whenever he mourned the loss of his companions, despite it all he remembered the solemnity of the scene.

He reminisces. He does that more often now, he finds. Mayhap because of age, he doesn’t know for sure. Maybe it’s longing. (There was no way they could have stayed together, it was better for all of them this way. At least, that’s what they told themselves.) 

A peculiar silence settles over the ruins, pulling him from his spiraling thoughts. An odd sense of _something is here, and you must find it_ compels him to examine the place further. He hadn’t gotten the chance before, or maybe, whatever he is looking for hadn’t been here yet. 

He had never been the one to understand all the time stuff, that was best left to the others. 

A little magical prodding and a few broken branches later - did there _really_ have to be so many birds and squirrels and whatnot in the forest to scare the crap out of him at a moment’s notice? He was _trying_ to stay on guard here - he finds himself kneeling behind the remnants of the chimney, the only part of the structure that seemed to have weathered the centuries well. If partially collapsing and becoming completely overgrown could be considered “well” - in his opinion, it absolutely could, given the state the rest of the building was in.

With a growing sense of urgency, he digs. It - whatever it is he is digging for - is deeper than he expected. But as he sits back on his heels, knees protesting all the while, he can do nothing but stare at the small chest that lies listlessly before him. 

He’s lived longer than he thought he would. This peace has lasted longer than he ever could have hoped it would last. But this box, this shouldn’t have ever been able to survive the centuries, the literal hundreds of years between their two eras. And yet somehow it did. And somehow here he is to find it. Find the one last message from the person who understood him the most, who had been in his shoes and had fought these same fights, had fought these same beasts back again and again. 

All he can do as he stares at the case is sit there in shock. The magic was powerful; whatever protections that had allowed it to avoid detection and destruction for all this time was way above his understanding, even in his age. This was the work of many, the work of a skilled professional with too much time on their hands and many, many friends. One with more than a few favors to call on and a ferocious drive to see it through. 

He cries. He can’t help it. As he sits there, gaping at the marvel that was such a thing, he weeps. Mourning the friend he had mourned for years, who he had never truly put to rest. Would never truly put to rest. In a world where anything was possible, even a meeting transcending time and defying space, could he ever really? It was never fully out of the question, he had held out hope for years that somehow, someday, one of them would figure it out. 

They never had, of course. (And a part of him knew they never will. For, if they could, wouldn’t he know by now?)

He takes it. He leaves the desecrated remains where they were. There is nothing left for him here. It would be gone before he knew it, there was nothing that could be done. Something told him that the only thing that had held this place together was the magic that pulled him to it, and now that it’s purpose had been fulfilled he doubts the place will remain standing.

His memories of that day are murky at best, but he can’t say he’s entirely upset about that. From what he does remember... 

Well. Suffice to say, it was probably for the best. 

He stumbles home in a daze. It’s been a while, he isn’t sure how long exactly. They were concerned, when he appeared at the gates. The fog over his senses doesn’t lift during her lecture about the maps and the letters he had promised to send. It doesn’t lift as he listlessly picks at his meal. (It’s too much, some are out there starving and this is _too much_. What he doesn’t notice are the stares, the glances of concern as he, their Hero, ~~the one who will save us all~~ , refuses to eat, refuses to talk, refuses to-) It doesn’t lift as he retreats to his room. It’s not really. His, he means. But he sits in the dimly lit room, a pitiful candle flickering beside him. 

He stares at the box in his hands. 

And then he opens it. 

_Dear Hyrule,_

It’s a letter. Or, more accurately, a stack of letters. The box is as deep as his forearm, and it’s stuffed with scraps of paper and parchment, bits and bobs jammed in between, every inch of space filled to the brim. He opens the first one he can get his hands on, with trembling hands and vision blurred.

_Dear Hyrule,_

_I’m sorry._

His hands shake so badly he can hardly read the paper. (He was the one who had taught him, without him he wouldn’t even be able to-) A loud thud, followed by a crescendo as an uncountable number of papers and trinkets crash to the floor.

_Dear Hyrule,_

_I don’t know how to explain this…_

_Dear Hyrule,_

_I hope you find these._

_Dear Hyrule,_

_You made this all worth it._

_Hyrule,_

_I’m sorry._

_Dear Hyrule,_

**_Thank you._ **

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> :) 
> 
> (i had way to much fun with this, thank you so much liccy for making me realize how much fun it is to write Hyrule!! 
> 
> have a wonderful holiday if you celebrate anything, and have a great December even if you don't!!!)
> 
> ~~there may be a tad bit more to this, but we'll see... :)~~


End file.
